Augustus a



(Model.)

A. A. BISHOP.

ENVELOlE.

Patented Feb. Y l0, 1885.,

WITNESEES Nirnn Sra'rns 'Aralar ENVELOPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 311,96, dated February 10,18815.

(Model.)

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS A. BIsHor, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful I1nproveinents in Envelopes; and I do declare the following` to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My. invention relates to safety-envelopes, and has for its objectirnprovenients in that class of such inventions which seek to provide an envelope which cannot be opened without such mutilation thereof as would lead to the ready detection of the perpetrator. Where safety-envelopes are used they are ordinarily delivered from one to another eniployof the express companies, post-offices, or other carriers in their transit from sender to addressee. Vhere an envelope evidenced the fact of its having been tampered with, the person to whom it would be tendered in such chain of employs would refuse to receive it from the mutilator, or would only1 receive it when properly indorsed by the mutilator, showing its condition when delivered. This renders certain the detection ofthe perpetrator; and to prevent tampering with envelopes it is only necessary Vto provide an envelope which cannot be opened without showing the results of such operation. This is effected by my improvements, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a view of the envelope-blank when unfolded. Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 show the manner in which the envelope4 is folded up from said blank. Fig. 7 is a cross-seetion of the envelope when made and sealed.

The envelope is composed of the face-piece A, the iap B, the wings C, extended on opposite sides of the piece A, the back piece, D, depending from the piece A, the wings E, eX- tended laterally from the piece D, and the reenforcing and safety piece F, depending from the piece D, as shown. rlhe envelope-blank 5o is cut in a single piece, and I have indicated by lightlines the folds made in forming the envelope and sealing sanie,in the manner presently described. The front, back, and re-enforcing pieces, A, D, and F, are made of approximately the same size and shape. wings VC, answering to the wings of common envelopes, are formed on their upper'edges with extensions G, which project above the folding-line, and are gummed on the side which appears in Fig. 5. The lower'edges of these wings are cutin any suitable form, preferably that shown, so that their inner ends at CAz will coincide with the slit D in the back piece, D. The. slit D is made through the back piece, D, and preferably formed of the two wings shown. These wings are out at an obtuse angle to each other, and are inclined outward and downward from their meeting-v point, which is toward the opening of the en velope when wing D is turnedinto properposition, as most clearly shown. preferring this form of slit will more fully appear hereinafter. 'The flap B is provided with an'extension or tongue, B', which in operation of sealing the envelope is passed through slit D', and is bent up, as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 6, and is gummed to the backof the en; velope.

In folding my envelope, piece'F is folded ont-o back D, as shown in Fig. 2. Wings EE are then folded onto said piece F, as shown in Fig. 3, and are gummed on the side which appears in said figure. The vparts D E F are now folded onto the front piece, as shown in Fig. 4, the wings E E being 'gumlned securely to the back of said piece A. The pocket is now formed between the pieces A and F, the wings being pasted to and forming practically a part of the facepiece, as will be understood. The wings C are now folded onto the piece D, as shown in Fig. 5, and securely gummed thereto. 'As before stated, the sides of extensions O (shown in Fig. 5) are gumined. The envelope is now ready for use. When the money or valuable papers are put in, the extensions C are turned into the pocket and gunirned securely to the back of piece A. This of itself securely seals the envelope, and will be useful in connection with any form of :fastening iiap. The flap B is now turned Thev The reason forA down, as usual, and the tongue B folded on the line indicated and passed through the slit is desirable; also, that when so desired the slit may be made in a straight line instead of angular,a s shown. .While the liap and tongue arranged as shown' will give good results, yet I prefer to "use -the extensions E and the reenforcing piece F, the former because they strengthen the ends of the envelope, and the latter because it prevents thecontents of the envelope from 'being drawnv through the slit D by aninstrument inserted upward through the same. It will'appear thatwhen the tongue is inserted'through the slit D its `joint or fold with the flap Bis a straight line below the inclined cuts ofthe slit. This forms the guardpiece D2, which projects up under the fold of the l.tongue B when the envelope is sealed. This construction prevents an instrument being passed downward through slit D', so as to draw the contents of theenvelope under piece F and up through the slit D.

It is obvious that the form of tongue B. wings C, extensions C,and wings E, aswell as ap F, may be modified without departing from` the principles of my invention. The sidesCl of the wings G coinciding with slit D serve to strengthen said slit and prevent the tearing of the envelope when the tongueis being inserted.

These envelopes,it will be seen,can be used with or without 'the wax seals, as desired;

Instead of cutting `the Wings of the slit straight,they may be curved, or said slit might be formed in the arc of a circle with its crown corresponding to the meeting-points of said straight cuts or wings, as will be readily understood.

` Having thus described my invent-ion, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An envelope having in its back piece a slit composed of two lcuts angled outward and downward from their upper or meeting ends and provided with a re-enforcing piece, F, and the wings extended from the front piece and having their lower edges cut to coincide with said slit, substantially as set forth.

2. The herein-described envelope composed ofthe face-piece A, the flap B', havingatongue or extension, B, the wings C, having upward extensions C', the back yD, provided with a slit, D', the wingsE, extendedylaterally trom piece D, and the lieenforcing pieceF, depend ing from back piece, D, all arranged and adapted `to operate substantially as and for' purposes set forth. l

3. An envelope having a slit,.D; in its back, a guard-piece formed by the slity and having its middle portion extended upward, as shown, and a liap extended downward over the guardpiece and having on its lower end a tongue4 adapted to be turned lupward and inserted through the slit againstv the inner face ot' the upper portion of the back, substantially as setforth.

4. An envelope havingits wings C provided with extensions C', and its back piece,I D, pro- 4 vided with wings E, and coveI'ingpieceF, substantially asand for the purposesspeciied.

5. In an envelope having itsback piece provided with a lslit adapted to receive the tongue of the flap, the wings C, having theirl .i

edges C2 cut to coincide with the slit in the back piece, substantially as s et forth. v

In testimony whereof Iaftix mysignature in presence of two witnesses. Y

. AUGUSTUS A. BISHOP.

Witnesses:

C. R. BENEDICKT.

SAMUEL WALLACE. 

